


Footprints in Powder

by ienablu



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Background Character Death, Episode: s02e07 The Witchfinder, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-20
Updated: 2010-03-20
Packaged: 2017-12-22 01:53:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/907494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ienablu/pseuds/ienablu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gwen helps Merlin clean up Gaius' chambers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Footprints in Powder

**Author's Note:**

> Written for camelot-fleet.

The room was a disaster when Gwen got there. Desks were overturned, furniture broken, tapestries draped on the floor. Powers spilled out of cracked urns, knights' footprints still preservered in the powder. Books were knocked over, urns on their sides, sheafs of paper littering the floor, broken vial glasses shattered. Merlin was standing in the middle of the room, back turned to her. Gwen knocked softly on the open door, then a bit louder when he didn't seem to have heard. Merlin looked up from the spot of floor he had been staring intently at, and gave her a half-hearted wave, then went back to staring at nothing.

Merlin was already using the broom; but by his hunched shoulders and downcast bow of head, it looked more like he was using it to stay standing than to clean. Gwen didn't mention it, and instead bent down, collecting the papers that had drifted towards the door. She glanced up around the room, and saw some of the bookshelves on the higher levels had been completely emptied.

Gwen bit her bottom lip. She felt compelled to say something, say anything, but was afraid to say the wrong thing, or for something to come out the wrong way. And as she remembered, words meant little when your father was imprisoned. She pushed the thought out of the way.

Instead, she busied herself trying to undo the damage. She righted upturned stools, stacked books on desks. She swept powders into her apron and poured them back into their original urns. She folded tapestries and put them on the backs of chairs, pushed broken furniture to the side, all while slowly moving closer to the still-quiet Merlin.

It was worrying, Merlin being so quiet. 

She made her way closer, clutching the stacks of papers she had collected, and took a moment to really look at him.

Merlin's eyes were screwed shut, his jaw locked tight, and more than anything else, he looked _defeated_.

"He'll be fine," Gwen said softly, before she could help herself. She set down the papers, and took a few steps closer.

Merlin whipped to look at her for a long moment, his blue eyes watery, his voice tight as he grit out, "He shouldn't've even been arrested, it's all my--"

"Merlin," she interrupted, reaching out and squeezing his shoulder. "He'll be fine."

He looked away, furiously blinking back tears, knuckles white as he clutched at the broom. Gwen rubbed small circles into his shaking shoulders, and after a few moments he took a deep breath. Voice still raw, he agreed, "Yeah." He rubbed at his eyes, and gave her a hesitant smile. "Yeah."

Gwen gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, then took the broom from his limp hands and started to a corner of the room. "And unless you want him to yell at you when he comes back, we should probably start cleaning."


End file.
